


You Belong to Me

by 4thofFive



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-25
Updated: 2013-10-24
Packaged: 2017-12-30 10:06:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1017310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4thofFive/pseuds/4thofFive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny is brutally beaten by an unknown assailant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A story I had posted over on LiveJournal then ended up deleting accidentally. Thanks to the wonderful and fabulous simplyn2deep who found a cached copy for me. She's amazing!

Danny sighed and stretched before turning off his computer and standing up to gather his gun and badge from the desk. It had been a hell of a long week with a monster of a case and he was exhausted. At least it was the good kind of exhausted with a successfully concluded case.

The detective turned out his office light and walked out into the bullpen. All of the computer equipment had been powered down a half hour ago when Chin and Kono had said goodnight and gone home for a much-deserved rest.

Danny looked over at Steve’s office but couldn’t see his partner. The taller man had left the office 20 minutes ago to chat with the evidence clerk at HPD and hadn’t yet returned. Normally Danny would wait around to say goodnight but he knew Steve had a late appointment with the Governor and probably wouldn’t be back.

The detective walked out of the 5-0 offices and locked the door behind him. As he headed to the rear stairwell he poked his head around the corner to say goodnight to Barbara, the third floor receptionist. The slightly plump, dark-haired woman in her early 40’s was always bringing Danny treats and homemade muffins and the detective thought she might have a bit of a crush on him.

“Night Barb, see you tomorrow.”

Barbara whipped off her glasses and dropped them to her lap the minute she heard Danny’s voice. The blonde man couldn’t help but suppress a smile. If only she knew that glasses weren’t the reason he would never date her, a six-foot slightly psychotic Navy SEAL was.

“Oh good night Danny, I hope you have a nice night. Do you have Grace tomorrow?”

Danny smiled as he always did when his baby’s name was mentioned.

“Yeah I can hardly wait. We’ve got tickets for the Magic of Polynesia Show at the Waikiki Beachcomber. Sounds a bit hokey but Grace has been bugging me to see it.”

“Oh that sounds like so much fun,” the older woman replied wistfully.

Danny smiled gently at her and started making his way slowly down the hall. He’d learned that if he engaged with her too long she could talk his ear off.

“Yes I hope so. Anyway I have to head out; goodnight again.”

The dark-haired woman raised a hand to wave at Danny and he felt her eyes following him until he turned the corner and opened the door to the stairwell.

Danny jogged down the stairs and just made the first landing when he almost plowed into Steve who was heading up.

“Hey, I thought you were meeting with the Governor,” the detective asked as he smiled up at his partner.

“In a half-hour. Where are you going?”

Danny rolled his eyes and leaned one hip against the staircase railing crossing his arms lightly on his chest.

“Where am I going? Steven I know you’re not a detective but you’re a pretty bright fellow. It’s early evening, our work is done for the day and I’m tired. Where do you think I’m going?”

Steve rubbed a thoughtful hand across his chin and rolled his eyes to the ceiling as if considering Danny’s words.

“Hmmm, let me guess,” he deadpanned. “Home?”

“Give the man a cigar,” Danny cheered pumping one hand in the air as if in victory.

“Asshole,” Steve muttered as he reached out and slid a finger between the top two buttons of Danny’s shirt then twisted his finger tangling it in the material. He pulled Danny by the shirt and turned him until the detective had his back against the stairwell wall, Steve plastered up against him. The Commander bent down to kiss Danny hungrily on the lips before dropping his mouth to nibble at the smaller man’s neck.

“You should come over later,” the dark-haired man growled in his partner’s ear.

Danny slid his hands up Steve’s arms and grasped him by the biceps while tipping his head to give Steve better access to his neck.

“But your meeting...?”

Steve’s breath was hot on Danny’s ear and the detective felt his cock twitch in interest.

“Boring budget stuff,” Steve replied as he kissed his way down Danny’s neck and flicked open two of the buttons on Danny’s shirt to have access to his sculpted, furry chest. “I figure you call me at 8:30 or so with some great, terrible emergency that needs my immediate attention then you meet me at my place at about nine. What do you think?”

Danny moaned as Steve licked a trail across his collar bone.

“Will my having a raging hard on be enough of a terrible emergency?”

Danny felt Steve smile as he leaned down further and took one of his partner’s nipples between his teeth giving it a flick with his tongue before straightening up and giving Danny a look that sent a bolt of electricity straight to his groin.

“Definitely. Can’t let you suffer like that. It’s my job as your partner and your boss to help you find relief for any pressure may be building inside you.”

Danny smirked up at his friend.

“Always so dedicated...alright I’ll be there. I’ll bring my toothbrush and my jammies.”

Steve leaned down again and captured Danny’s mouth giving him a wet, hot kiss full of promise. He pulled away slightly.

“Don’t bother with your jammies,” Steve replied hoarsely.

With one last leering smirk, Steve released his partner and turned to run up the stairs two at a time. Danny stopped and admired the view for a moment before straightening and re-buttoning his shirt and jogging down the last staircase to his car.

Danny couldn’t help but smile as he climbed behind the wheel of his car and started the engine to steer out of the 5-0 parking lot. He and Steve had only started a physical relationship a couple of weeks ago and it was so new that it was still a thrill every time they touched or kissed. Although they’d both agreed that they would keep the relationship casual for now – including not telling anyone – the detective couldn’t help hoping it would develop into more. He knew he was probably setting himself up for heartache if Steve didn’t share his desires but the way Steve was, his passion and his affection, made Danny think they both had hope for the future.

Danny stopped at a nearby convenience store for some milk he would need for Gracie’s breakfast on Saturday morning then drove home. He may not yet love Hawaii but Danny couldn’t help but be proud of the small home he was now renting. It was two blocks from the beach (far enough away that he didn’t have to hear the waves crashing 24 hours a day) had two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a recently upgraded kitchen. Grace’s favourite part was the tree-lined back yard with the swing. Danny on the other hand loved the front entrance way. The house was set back from the street and the tall trees gave the little home a wonderful sense of privacy, not to mention helping to keep it cool. Unfortunately the sidewalk up to the house could be dark at night if Danny neglected to leave the outside light on as he obviously did this morning. The blonde man shook his head in self-disgust and was glad Steven wasn’t with him. The highly trained SEAL would give him shit for not having proper sight lines and being casual with home security.

Danny shifted the carton of milk to his left hand as he dug in his pocket for his keys. A flash of movement to his left caused Danny to drop the milk carton to the sidewalk as he yanked his gun from his holster. The shadow walked forward until a nearby streetlight partially illuminated his visitor’s face.

“Keoki?” Danny hissed feeling his shoulders slump in relief, “Jesus Christ what are you doing sneaking up on me like that I could have shot you man!”

The tall, muscular Hawaiian man put up his hands, palms out and grinned at the Detective.

“Sorry Danny. I was just hanging around hoping to talk to you and I decided to look around your garden. Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Danny shoved his gun into his holster and bent down to pick up the milk carton which was now leaking steadily after being dropped on the sidewalk. The detective huffed in annoyance and dropped the carton to the ground again in disgust shaking the milk off his hands.

“That’s just great,” he muttered angrily.

Keoki shrugged slightly and gave Danny a rueful look.

“Sorry Danny, I’ll pay you for that.”

The blonde detective sighed in frustration.

“It’s fine, no big deal,” he snapped. “But what are you doing here anyway and how did you find out where I live? I haven’t even given HPD my new address?”

Keoki stepped forward until he was only inches from Danny. He reached out gently and ran one finger down Danny’s right arm.

“I was sort of hoping you’d changed your mind and we could see each other again,”

“Keoki,” Danny groaned starting to get pissed off they were having this conversation yet again.

The taller man shook his head and held up one hand to ward off whatever Danny was going to say.

“No, please Danny. I know what you said about us not being compatible but I can’t stop thinking about you. I love you and I want us to try again.”

Danny rubbed his hands over his face in frustration.

“Keoki please, you’re just making this worse. I told you I don’t want to see you again. You’re a nice guy but we’re just not right for each other. You need to find someone who will love you the way you deserve to be loved.”

The Hawaiian man’s face suddenly hardened and his voice dropped low.

“But I don’t want anyone else. I want you.”

Danny stared up at the other man for a moment. He hated hurting anyone but this was getting ridiculous. Ever since he’d broken up with Keoki six weeks ago the other man had been calling begging Danny to take him back.

“But I don’t want you Keoki,” Danny replied firmly hoping his former lover would finally get the message. “I’ve found someone else, someone I love and I’m not coming back to you ok? We’re not getting together again.”

“It’s McGarrett isn’t it?” the Hawaiian man growled down at Danny. “You’ve never been able to hide your feelings for him.”

Danny jammed his fists on his hips and glared up at his former lover.

“It’s none of your business who it is. You and I are through ok? It’s over between us. Stop calling me and stop dropping by or I swear will make your life unpleasant. You’re becoming a stalker Keoki and if it doesn’t stop I’ll take legal action. Don’t fuck with me.”

The Hawaiian man glared down at Danny for a moment before his face suddenly relaxed and he gave the detective a regretful look before nodding his head slowly.

“I’m sorry Danny, you’re right. I’m being ridiculous. It’s just...I fell in love with you so quickly it’s hard to just turn it off but I’ll stop bugging you now, I promise.”

Danny sighed in relief and nodded as well.

“Good, I hope you mean that.”

Keoki gave the smaller man a weak smile and started to bend down to pick up the broken milk carton.

“Here I’ll just help you with...”

Danny waved his hands to stop the other man and began to bend down himself to pick up the carton.

An explosion of pain smashed into the back of Danny’s head causing his vision to grey out and his legs to turn to jelly. He dropped to the ground in a boneless heap. Something heavy slammed into his abdomen punching the breath out of him. He tried to curl up into a ball as kicks and punches rained down on him until, with another kick to the head, he sank into oblivion.

**********

Steve surreptitiously checked his watch again as the Governor droned on about cost over runs and allowable expenditures. It was 9:12 and Danny still hadn’t called. The Commander felt his gut clench with worry. Even if Danny had changed his mind about spending the night at Steve’s house he still would have called or texted. Steve fiddled with his watch band as he considered the possibilities. Maybe Danny had been held up in traffic or was in the shower or...there could be lots of reasons why he was late calling. Besides, Steve reminded himself, it was only 45 minutes later than their agreed upon time, it wasn’t like Danny had been out of communication for hours.

Steve licked his lips nervously. Despite his attempts to reassure himself, his gut told him something was wrong and he always listened to his gut. He stood abruptly causing the Governor to jerk back in surprise at the sudden movement.

“Governor I’m sorry but I have to cut this short. I was supposed to hear from Danny some time ago and I haven’t. I need to check on him.”

“But...” the Governor sputtered as he slowly rose to his feet. “what about the second quarter statements?”

Steve gave the other man a fake smile as he began backing out of the room.

“I’ll look at them, I promise. I’ll give them all the attention they deserve.”

With a quick nod of the head Steve turned and all but fled out of the Governor’s office.

**********

Steve pulled his gun the minute he climbed out of his truck where he’d parked it behind Danny’s Camaro. Something was wrong. Danny’s house was too dark and quiet.

The Commander pushed back the annoyance he felt that the front of Danny’s house was so dark. The detective had obviously forgotten to leave the porch light on when he’d left for work that morning – nor had he listened to Steve’s suggestion to put in a motion sensor light – and as a result, the front walkway was shrouded in darkness with only pools of dim illumination provided by a nearby streetlight. For a hell of a good cop Danny could be surprisingly lax about his own security.

Gun at the ready and flashlight in hand, Steve moved slowly but carefully up the sidewalk towards the entrance to Danny’s house eyes constantly scanning the area. It was eerily quiet and Steve felt all of his sense on alert for danger.

Just before he reached the front door Steve stepped on something that crushed beneath his feet and sent a gush of liquid over his boot. He aimed the flashlight down and saw he was standing on a now flattened milk carton lying on the sidewalk. Steve’s sense of foreboding ratcheted up a notch as he aimed the flashlight beam around the small front yard. The beam of light caught the edge of a patent leather loafer in the grass and as Steve moved the light he gasped in horror when he saw Danny’s broken, bleeding body lying under a nearby palm tree.

Steve holstered his gun and pulled his cell phone as he ran to his partner. Dropping to his knees next to the blonde man Steve ran his hands lightly down his partner’s face. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a weak pulse in Danny’s neck.

“Danny? Danno can you hear me? Babe?”

Receiving no response, Steve dialed 9-1-1 and barked orders for the operator to send an ambulance. After disconnecting the call, Steve ran his flashlight over Danny trying to determine the extent of the other man’s injuries. His partner’s face was bloody and bruised, the back of his head was sticky with blood and given the unnatural way his left arm was laying, it was obvious it had been shattered.

Steve picked up his cell again and pressed speed dial number three.

“Steve?” Chin answered the call immediately.

“Chin!” Steve all but shouted, his voice strangled with near panic at the condition of his partner – his lover’s – body. “I’m at Danny’s, he’s been hurt. Beaten. He’s unconscious. I’ve called the ambulance.”

“OK Steve,” Chin replied calmly although Steve could hear the worry in his voice. “Kono and I will meet you at the hospital and I’ll send CSU over to Danny’s house to see what they can find.”

Steve ran a trembling hand through his hair.

“Yeah...ok Chin,” he paused and took a ragged breath, “it looks bad Chin. Danny looks...”

“He’s going to be fine Steve,” Chin responded firmly. “Everything’s going to be fine. We’ll see you at the hospital in a little while.”

**********

Chin and Kono were waiting at the emergency entrance when the ambulance pulled up outside. The rear doors of the bus flew open and Steve leapt out turning at once to help the paramedics unload the gurney. The two cousins fell in behind Steve and followed the gurney as it pushed through the main doors, past the admitting desk and into the first available trauma room.

Chin and Kono had to physically restrain Steve from following the gurney into the exam room and then all but drag the SEAL over to the nearby waiting room chairs. Not surprisingly, Steve refused to sit but started pacing the room nervously.

Kono stepped in front of him.

“What happened?” she demanded.

Steve wrapped his arms around himself and cleared his throat. He knew he had to get himself under control. He was a Navy SEAL for fuck’s sake. He was trained to handle everything...almost everything anyway.

“He...we were supposed to meet...” Steve mentally shook himself and drew himself to his full height. He needed to calm down and make a clear report. “I had a meeting with the Governor,” he began reciting in a more even voice. “Danny was supposed to call me with some fake emergency to get me out of it. When he didn’t call I got worried and drove to his place. I found him lying on the ground beaten and unconscious.”

“Did you see anyone around?” Kono questioned like he was any other witness, “hear anything?”

Steve shook his head.

“No, nothing. Whoever did it was gone.”

“Were there signs of a struggle?” Chin picked up the questioning.

Steve shook his head again and rubbed his hands up and down his arms as if he was cold.

“No. Well, maybe. There was a carton of milk lying on the sidewalk. I stepped on it. I couldn’t see any defensive wounds on Danny’s hands but it was pretty dark.”

“So maybe someone caught Danny by surprise?” Kono directed her question to her cousin.

Chin lifted then dropped his eyebrows as he considered the idea.

“They must have. Danny is too good to be taken without a fight...either that or it was someone he knew and wasn’t concerned about.”

Steve began pacing the room again as his brain kicked into action.

“Chin, check with CSU and see if they’ve found anything at Danny’s house and ask HPD to start canvassing the neighbours in case they heard anything. Kono, start going through the files; look for anyone who might have a grudge against Danny – recent parolees particularly – both here and from New Jersey.”

The two cousins nodded but hesitated, unwilling to leave their boss while he was so obviously upset.

“Steve, are you sure you’ll be ok?” Kono inquired gently, “maybe one of us should...”

The head of 5-0 gave her a weak smile then nodded.

“Yeah I’m ok. As soon as I hear from the doctor I’ll call you alright?”

“Do you want me to call Rachel?” Chin asked laying a gentle hand on Steve’s shoulder.

Steve shook his head.

“No umm, I’ll call her after I’ve spoken to the doctor.”

**********

The doctor appeared in the waiting room just in time. After more than an hour of anxious pacing, Steve was about to blast into the trauma room and demand answers.

“Commander McGarrett?”

Steve spun from where he’d come to a brief stop in front of a window. Danny’s doctor was a small Asian man with funky red glasses and hair that was slicked down and parted in the middle. Steve rushed up to him causing the smaller man to take a step back away from the looming presence.

“Yes. How is my partner?”

The doctor gestured nervously towards the plastic chairs lining the waiting room.

“Could we sit and I’ll explain what’s going on.”

With a sigh of frustration, Steve dropped into one of the nearby chairs but remain perched on the edge as if ready to jump into action at any moment. The doctor sat down keeping a chair between himself and the obviously agitated 5-0 commander.

“I’m Dr. Tran, I understand you have your partner’s medical proxy so I’ll bring you up-to-date on his condition and then I’ll need you to sign a consent form.”

The doctor briefly consulted the chart he was holding before looking up at Steve again.

“As I’m sure you noticed, Detective Williams was very badly beaten – it’s one of the worst cases I’ve seen in a long time.”

Steve felt his throat burn with bile and he swallowed convulsively as he stared at the doctor.

“Starting from the top, the detective has a hairline fracture of the skull along with a severe scalp laceration that will need to be cleaned and stitched up in surgery. He also has a fractured right cheek bone, a severely fractured left arm, two broken ribs, a bruised kidney, a hairline fracture of the left tibia and numerous deep bruises and contusions. There’s evidence of the detective having been kicked as well as punched.”

Steve found himself almost panting for breath and he had to climb to his feet to begin pacing the room again before he put his fist through the wall.

“Will he...what’s his condition right now?”

The doctor also stood and regarded the young man sympathetically.

“Right now he’s critical but stable. We’ll be taking him to surgery in a few minutes to repair his arm and the scalp lac. We’ll keep him in a medically-induced coma for a few days to give his body a chance to recover from the shock and begin to heal.”

Steve stopped pacing and looked down at the doctor nervously, wringing his hands in front of him.

“What about long-term, I mean...he’s going to live right?”

Dr. Tran gave Steve a small smile.

“He’ll have a long road of recovery but I’m hopeful that he will survive and do well.”

Steve sagged in relief.

“Thank God. When can I see him?”

“After surgery he’ll be moved to the ICU and you can see him then. If you’ll go to the nurses’ station we’ll have some forms there for you to sign. I’ll come out and see you as soon as the surgery is over.”

**********

Chin stopped at the foot of Danny’s bed and had to suppress a gasp when he saw the condition of his Jersey friend. The detective was flat on his back, a respirator helping him breathe while he was being kept in a coma. His head was wrapped in a thick bandage and his left arm, which was resting on a pillow, was held together by two external rods screwed into the bones of his arm. The rest of Danny’s injuries were covered by the bed sheet but Danny’s face was what caused the older Hawaiian detective to gasp. The younger man had been so beaten and bruised that his face was deformed by swelling and Chin realized that even if by some miracle Danny could wake up, he wouldn’t be able to open his swollen eyes.

The Lieutenant dragged his eyes away from the blonde man and took several deep breaths to control the rage building inside him. He glanced over at Steve who sat in a chair beside Danny’s bed holding his partner’s good hand and dozing with his forehead on the bed. Chin reached over to gently shake Steve’s shoulder causing his boss to jerk to wakefulness his eyes locked immediately on Danny.

“Hey, it’s ok,” Chin whispered, his hand tightening on Steve’s shoulder. “It’s just me.”

Steve blew out a sigh of relief and stood from the hard plastic chair he’d been occupying before inclining his head towards to door.

“Let’s talk outside.”

The two men moved quietly out of the ICU past the beds of the other patients and through the main doors into the central corridor. Steve slumped against the wall and rubbed his hands tiredly over his face. Chin looked at him sympathetically.

“Why don’t you head home and get some rest? I’m sure the nurses will call if there’s any change in his condition.”

The commander straightened up and shook his head firmly.

“Not right now. Not until I’m sure he’s out of danger.”

The older man opened his mouth to argue but knew it would be useless and snapped it shut again.

“What have we got?” Steve demanded fixing Chin with an intense gaze.

“Not much I’m afraid. HPD canvassed the neighbours.” Chin pulled out his phone and consulted it for a moment. “The one to the left of Danny – Mr. Owen Reynolds, age 78 – let his dog out just after eight and reports hearing two men talking in front of or near Danny’s house. He couldn’t see them because of all the trees surrounding the houses. They weren’t yelling but he said they were talking heatedly. He’s a bit hard of hearing but he thought one of them said something about taking legal action.”

“Does he know if one of the men was Danny?”

Chin shook his head regretfully.

“Danny only moved into that house a month ago. He introduced himself to the old gentleman once but Mr. Reynolds couldn’t be sure if it was Danny’s voice he was hearing.”

“Anything else?”

“CSU has gone over the front sidewalk and lawn with a fine-toothed comb but couldn’t find anything that will lead us to Danny’s attacker.”

“Shit!” his Steve angrily as he scrubbed his fingers through his hair. He looked back up at Chin.

“What about Kono? Anything there?”

Chin shook his head again and put his iPhone back in his pants pocket.

“So far nothing but she has a lot of records to go through. I sent her home a few minutes ago. We’re meeting back up at the office at 6 a.m. By then I should have Danny’s phone records in my hand. Maybe we’ll find something there.”

Steve nodded and pulled his own phone from one of the many pockets of his cargo pants.

“I may have something useful,” he reported as he tapped the buttons of the phone. “Dr. Tran pointed it out to me after Danny was brought back from surgery.”

The Commander held up the phone so Chin could see the picture Steve took of a particularly vicious looking bruise on Danny’s face. Steve tapped a button again and a close up of the bruise appeared.

“The bruise came from Danny being punched,” Steve explained, his voice tight with anger, “but the doc thinks this mark here,” Steve pointed to a deep, dark indentation in the centre of the bruise, “could be from a ring, a large ring, high in the centre. It would be fairly noticeable on whoever wore it.”

Chin couldn’t help the smile that quirked at the corner of his mouth.

“It isn’t much but it’s a start. Send me the picture and I’ll see if Charlie can do anything with it.”

**********

“Officer Kalakua?”

Kono was just pulling open the doors to the 5-0 offices after taking a quick break to get a coffee when she heard Barbara’s soft, quavering voice behind her. She let the door go and turned to smile gently at the receptionist.

“Yes Barb?”

The older woman looked nervous and knit her fingers together in front of her stomach to keep her hands from shaking.

“I heard about Detective Williams. It’s so awful. Do you know how he is?”

Kono sighed tiredly. She had arrived at the office at 5:30 and spent several hours combing through the HPD and NPD databases looking for anyone who might have had a grudge against Danny. After almost 15 years as a police officer Danny had racked up a few enemies but none seemed to fit the bill for this attack.

“He was badly hurt I’m afraid,” Kono reported as gently as possible. “He’s got extensive injuries that will take a long time to recover from but the doctors are very hopeful.”

Barbara’s bottom lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears.

“It’s just so awful. I just can’t believe it. I’m so sorry...I mean I didn’t...” she shook her head as if to clear her mind. “I’m just so sorry he was hurt. How is Grace taking it?”

Kono shifted from one foot to the other anxious to get back to work.

“I’m not sure. Her mother has been informed but I don’t know if she’s told Grace.” Kono reached out and gave Barbara’s upper arm a supportive squeeze.

“Danny’s strong Barb, try not to worry too much ok? I’ll let you know when he’s feeling up to visitors. I’m sure he’d love to have you come by.”

Unexpectedly Barbara burst into tears and brought her hands up to her face shaking her head slowly from side to side.

“I can’t...he won’t want...” she sobbed.

The older woman turned suddenly and ran down the hallway towards the women’s washrooms with Kono watching after her in confusion. The Hawaiian officer knew Barbara had a crush on Danny – she’d teased him about it often enough – but she had no idea it had gone so deep.


	2. Chapter 2

“Anything on Danny’s phone or e-mail?” Steve’s disembodied voice came over the speaker on the tech table as Chin and Kono provided their mid-afternoon briefing. Steve had, not surprisingly, stayed with Danny at the hospital overnight and showed no signs of leaving his partner’s side.

“Nothing unusual on the e-mail,” reported Chin as he scanned through Danny’s mailbox. “At least nothing that raises any red flags. There is one odd thing on his phone. He’s received quite a few calls over the last couple of weeks from the same number.”

“Can you find out who owns the phone?” Steve asked.

Kono took up the thread of the conversation.

“We traced it to an HPD patrol officer named Keoki Onakea. The calls seem to come in at random times, morning noon and night. At first they would last for several minutes but lately they’ve only lasted a few seconds as if Danny or Onakea was hanging up immediately.”

“Why would an HPD patrol officer be calling Danny so regularly?” Steve mused.

“I have no idea,” Chin responded. “Danny’s never mentioned him and I don’t think he’s ever been involved in any of our investigations. In any case, the officer is scheduled for the four to midnight shift today. His watch commander has given us her permission to speak to him before he starts work.”

“Ok good. Anything else?”

“Nothing so far Steve,” Kono reported reluctantly. “What about Danny? How is he?”

“He’s still being kept in the coma and still on the respirator. The doctors are happy with the surgery on his arm and say he’s holding his own. They’re talking about maybe letting him wake up late tomorrow so they can assess his neurological condition.”

The two cousins glanced at each other worriedly but Chin forced a note of confidence to his voice when he spoke again.

“Everything’s going to be fine, I just know it Steve. Danny has that hard Jersey head. He’ll be back good as new before we know it.”

Steve paused worriedly for a moment before responding.

“I hope so Chin. I hope you’re right.”

**********

“Is Onakea in trouble?” Lieutenant Gloria Ahn asked Chin and Kono as she led them through the squad room and towards the muster room where all officers coming on shift would receive orders and instructions for the night.

“Not as far as we know,” answered Chin cryptically. “Has he been in trouble before?”

Ahn shrugged as she pushed open a set of double doors and turned right down a short hallway.

“Nothing unusual. Has a bit of a temper, gotten a few complaints from citizens about excessive force but none of them panned out into charges.”

“Is he a good cop?” Kono asked.

Ahn huffed and rolled her eyes.

“Fair to middling. Let’s just say he’ll never be chief. I doubt he’ll ever make sergeant. He performs his duties at an acceptable level.”

Kono had to cover her mouth to hide the small smile forming on her lips. She could just imagine a member of 5-0 performing at an ‘acceptable level.’ Steve would have their asses bounced out of the unit so fast they’d land on Maui before they knew what hit them.

Ahn pushed open the door to the muster room where all of the evening shift officers were milling around drinking coffee and chatting to each other.

“Onakea!” the Lieutenant bellowed into the room.

The group of officers stopped talking and looked over at Ahn then parted to let a tall, good-looking Hawaiian officer pass between them. Kono couldn’t help noticing the young officer’s muscular body but while she might be interested in a guy like that as a brief boy toy, she could never be attracted to someone who wasn’t dedicated to being the best cop he could be.

Onakea walked up to the Lieutenant Ahn and came to attention.

“Yes ma’am?”

Ahn tipped her head towards Chin and Kono.

“Kalakua and Kelly from 5-0. They want to ask you a few questions. Talk to them and cooperate fully.”

Chin, who was watching Onakea’s face intently thought he saw a flash of something when Ahn introduced them but whatever it was was gone quickly and Onakea looked at the two 5-0 officers expectantly.

“Of course ma’am,” the officer responded smoothly.

Chin gestured with one hand for Onakea to follow them. The three officers walked to the end of the short hallway and came to rest in a corner where no one could hear them.

“Officer Onakea,” Chin began immediately holding up his iPhone to record their conversation, “recently you’ve been calling Detective Danny Williams regularly. Can you tell me why?”

Onakea gave a wide-eyed look to both Kelly and Kalakua.

“Is this about what happened to Danny yesterday? That was terrible. I hope you get the bastard who did this. If you do, let me have a couple of minutes alone with him.”

“Can you tell us why you’ve been calling Danny so regularly?” Kono repeated the question as if Onakea had not spoken. “How do you know him?”

Onakea shifted from one foot to the other and licked his lips before answering.

“Oh we met on a crime scene a few months ago. Some of the people in the crowd that had gathered to watch were causing a bit of a fuss and Dan-Detective Williams asked me to look after them. We chatted a bit afterwards and I asked him if he would be willing to sort of mentor me in my work. He’s such a good cop and someday I’d like to be a detective like he is. Anyway, he said he would and gave me his cell number.”

“And this mentoring required you to call Detective Williams over and over, morning, noon and night?”

Onakea blushed and scratched the back of his neck glancing down at the floor in a manner that Kono supposed was meant to be charming.

“Well, I admit I kind of overdid it. He was so easy to talk to that I think I sort of started taking advantage. I was even asking his advice about this girl I wanted to ask out. At first he was patient with me but later he started getting annoyed. Finally I told him I’d stop bugging him.”

“When was the last time you called him?” Kono asked.

Onakea looked thoughtfully at the ceiling for a moment.

“A couple of days ago I think. It was a very brief call. I basically just told him I wouldn’t be bothering him anymore.”

Onakea looked worriedly at Chin and then Kono.

“How is he anyway? I heard he was badly beaten.”

Chin nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Onakea’s face.

“He was badly hurt but is expected to recover.”

Onakea blew out a breath and smiled.

“Oh good. That’s good. I was really worried.”

While he spoke, Kono looked down at his hands.

“Officer, do you wear any rings?”

There it was again, Chin noted, that flash of something across Onakea’s face. Fear? Guilt?

The tall patrolman looked at Kono quizzically.

“Umm, I’m not married if that’s what you mean.”

“Could I see your hands please?” she asked, giving him a small smile.

The officer shrugged and lifted his hands showing her first the front and then the back. Kono thought she could see the faint impression of a ring line but couldn’t be sure. Overall his hands were clean and undamaged. She smiled at him again.

“Thank you.”

Onakea swallowed visibly and turned his attention back to Chin.

“Is that all sir? Briefing will begin in a few minutes and I don’t want to be late.”  
Chin nodded and gave the young officer a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“That’s all officer you can return to your duties.”

With a quick nod of the head, Onakea hurried back down the hall and slipped into the muster room. Kono looked over at Chin.

“What do you think?” she asked quietly.

The lieutenant pressed his lips together for a moment before responding.

“I think he’s our guy.”

*********

“Bring him in and I’ll get the truth out of him!” Steve raged as he paced like a caged lion in the garden area just outside the hospital.

It was early evening and Chin had stopped by to give Steve his impression of Onakea and to drag the SEAL out of the hospital for a few moments of fresh air – especially because he knew how Steve would react when he heard Chin’s belief that Onakea was the one who’d assaulted Danny.

“Steve...” Chin began but Steve waved away his words in a hand gesture reminiscent of Danny.

“No Chin don’t bother telling me to calm down. I’m not going to calm down. He beat the shit out of Danny. He could have killed him! Don’t tell me to calm down.”

“I wasn’t going to tell you to calm down,” Chin replied evenly leaning back against a tree while his boss paced, “I was going to tell you, however, that we have nothing to hold Onakea on – no reason to bring him in.”

“Then we’ll have to force him to confess,” Steve growled rubbing his hands together as if he couldn’t wait to dig out his shark cage.

Chin sighed and crossed his arms across his chest. Steve was a better cop than this. He was just speaking out of his own rage and pain.

“Steve,” the older man spoke gently, “we have to be smart about this. We have to do this by the book. We can’t take the chance of fucking anything up and running the risk of Onakea walking free.”

Steve stopped pacing and suddenly dropped down onto a near-by bench. He leaned over to rest his elbows on his knees then dropped his face into his hands.

“I know,” he replied quietly, his muffled voice tight with emotion. “I just...I can’t stand seeing him like that...knowing someone did that to him...I should have been...”

Chin walked over and sat near the younger man and put an arm across Steve’s shoulder giving his boss a brief hug.

“I know,” Chin responded sympathetically, “I know how much Danny means to you and god knows it’s horrible seeing him like that. But none of this is your fault. Danny would be the first to tell you that – or to yell it at you.”

Steve gave an amused snort and dropped his hands and shifted to lean back on the bench. His eyes were watery as he gave Chin a small smile.

“He’d call me an idiot and an insane control freak.”

“Then he’d say something truly loving and caring,” Chin added with a smile, “like calling you an Neanderthal and questioning what kind of brain damage they gave you in the army.”

Steve pulled his lips between his teeth and looked away suddenly feeling a surge of emotion threatening to swamp him.

“Navy,” he choked out remembering the common argument between himself and Danny.

Chin slid his hand over to cup the back of Steve’s neck gently.

“Steve, go home for a while. Have a shower, eat and get some sleep. Just for a few hours anyway. I’ll stay here with Danny. I’ll watch over him until you return.”

Steve took in a shuddering breath then shook his head.

“I can’t...”

“Babe,” Chin used Danny’s nickname for Steve, “you need to take care of yourself. If you get sick Danny will bitch you out worse than you’ve ever experienced before. Besides, you’re going to need your strength to help him recuperate. He’s going to need to lean on you.” 

Chin gently tightened his grip on Steve’s neck and his boss looked over at him with now wet eyes.

“I’ll watch over him,” Chin repeated softly. “I’ll look after him I promise.”

Steve swallowed thickly then nodded.

“Yeah...ok Chin. Just for a few hours though then I’m coming back.”

**********

Kono entered Iolani Palace early the next morning clutching a cup of coffee and looking tired but determined. As she rounded the corner towards the 5-0 offices she heard the muffled sound of someone crying and was surprised to see Barbara sitting on the floor in front of the 5-0 office, her head in her hands and her shoulders shaking with sobs. The older woman looked disheveled as if she hadn’t been to bed the previous night.

“Barb?” Kono called out softly as she knelt down in front of the receptionist. 

Barbara jolted in shock and lifted her wet, swollen face to look at Kono with a mixture of fear and horror.

“O-O-fficer Kalakua...” she responded, her voice hoarse and shaking.

“What’s the matter anyway?” Kono prompted laying a hand on the other woman’s shoulders. “Why are you so upset and why are you sitting on the floor in front of our office?”

Barbara swallowed thickly and shook her head as she scrambled to her feet.

“No I...I can’t...I shouldn’t have come...he’ll hurt me.”

Kono felt her gut clench with worry as she climbed to her feet and moved in front of the older woman to block her from running away.

“What are you talking about?” the young Hawaiian officer demanded. “Who is going to hurt you?”

Barbara looked up at Kono fearfully her body trembling.

“I...I don’t know what to do,” she wailed miserably. “It’s all my fault!”

Kono sighed in frustration then pulled her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the 5-0 office main doors before ushering the older woman into the bullpen area and nudging her to sit in a nearby chair. Kono put down her coffee and pulled up another chair and sat immediately in front of the receptionist.

“Barb I want you to tell me right now what’s wrong. Why are you so upset? Who is going to hurt you and what is your fault?” 

Barbara sniffled and one large tear rolled down her face.

“I didn’t mean to...I didn’t think anything bad would happen.”

“Barb!” Kono snapped becoming frustrated with the older woman’s nonsensical talk. “I’m very busy. I’m investigating the attack on Detective Williams and I haven’t got any time for bullshit so just tell me what’s bothering you and I’ll do everything I can to help.”

Barb let out one long wail and folded herself over until her face was almost between her knees.

“You don’t understand...the attack on Detective Williams...it was my fault!”

**********

Steve looked behind him when he heard soft footsteps approaching and was surprised to see Grace and Rachel coming into the ICU. Steve had spoken to Rachel early in the morning after waking up from his much-needed sleep. The two had discussed bringing Grace to visit her father but given the severity of his wounds and the frightening swelling to his face, they’d agreed they should wait a few days.

“Uncle Steve!” Grace sobbed as she threw herself into his arms and began to cry quietly on his shoulder. Steve looked up at Rachel questioningly and Danny’s ex-wife shook her head in defeat.

“She was so upset when I told her she couldn’t visit her father. She wouldn’t stop crying. She kept saying her Danno needed her and she had to be here.”

Steve nodded in understanding and held the little girl for a moment rubbing her back in gentle circles until she calmed down. Finally Grace sniffled loudly and pulled away from her uncle’s arms and wiped the back of her hand across her face.

“Is, is Danno...?”

“He’s going to be ok Gracie,” Steve assured the trembling little girl, “the doctor says he’s going to be just fine. In fact they plan to let him wake up later today.”

“Mommy said he looks bad,” the child responded her eyes wandering to the motionless figure on the bed. 

“Steve nodded.

“He does. His face is bruised and swollen so he doesn’t look like your Danno right now but that will go away soon.”

Grace took in a deep breath and Steve could see her mentally steeling herself for what she would see.

“Will you lift me up so I can look at him?” she asked firmly.

Steve smiled at the courage of the little girl then hoisted her in his arms and perched her on his hip. He carried her closer to the bed and held her above her father so that she could look down on him. He heard the little girl gasp and shudder and he started to back away but she shook her head firmly.

“No...I’m not scared. It’s my Danno and he needs me.”

Steve felt his throat tighten and he had to swallow down the lump that had formed. He looked over his shoulder at Rachel whose eyes were glistening with pride.

“If you want you can leave her with me here for a while. I’ll look after her until you come back,” whispered Steve, still holding Grace so she could keep her eyes on her father. 

Rachel nodded quickly and ran one hand down Grace’s back before turning and hurrying out of the room. Steve noticed she had not looked at Danny at all.

After a few moments Steve used his foot to hook the chair he’d been sitting in and pull it closer. He sat down on it with Grace in his lap making sure to stay close enough to the bed so that she could touch her dad.

“Who did this to him Uncle Steve?” the little girl questioned, her eyes never leaving her father. “Why would someone beat up Danno like that?”

Steve shook his head as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

“I don’t know sweetie. We don’t know who did it but we’re going to find them and when we do we’re going to punish them.”

Grace turned watery eyes up to her uncle’s face.

“Danno’s a good guy. He helps people. He keeps them safe. No one should beat him up.”

Steve shook his head.

“No they shouldn’t.”

Grace paused for a long moment as if debating whether or not to ask her next question.

“Uncle Steve?”

“Hmm?”

“Danno’s pretty tough isn’t he?”

Steve smiled as he nodded.

“Yeah he is.”

Grace shifted on his lap and reached out to take one of her father’s fingers in her hand.

“I don’t get how anyone could beat up Daddy so badly. Like...I’m surprised he didn’t beat them up first,” the child said almost reluctantly as if she were feeling guilty for questioning her father’s toughness.

Steve sighed softly not sure exactly how much to tell the child but Danny always insisted that he be honest with Grace as much as her age and maturity allowed.

“We think Danno knew who attacked him,” Steve offered quietly, “someone who took him by surprise. He wasn’t expecting this person to attack him so he wasn’t ready. If he had been I’m sure Danno would have beaten the other guy up first.”

Grace looked up at her uncle, her eyes wide with shock.

“Someone Danno knew beat him up? Like a friend?”

Steve swallowed hard hoping he hadn’t traumatized the little girl for life.

“Someone pretending to be his friend, not a real friend,” the SEAL amended. Steve watched the little girl’s face for a moment as she digested the information. An idea came to him and he sat up straight.

“Actually, maybe you can help. You know a lot of Danno’s friends. This person we’re looking for, we’re pretty sure he’s a man and we think he wears a ring – a big ring that sticks up in the middle. Have you ever met anyone who wears a ring like that?”

Grace pulled her eyebrows together and took a moment to think before turning her now bright eyes to Steve’s face.

“I think Danno’s boyfriend wears a ring like that.”

Steve felt the breath whoosh out of him like he’d been punched. He stared at the child with wide-eyed shock.

“D-Danno’s boyfriend?” he asked his voice strangled and hoarse. What the fuck? Was Danny seeing someone else?

The little girl shrugged.

“Well, I’m not sure he was Danno’s boyfriend exactly but he told me he was.”

Steve gave his head a slight shake and lifted Grace under her arms until she was repositioned on his lap so he could see her face full on.

“What do you mean sweetheart? Where did you meet this man? When did he say he was Danno’s boyfriend?”

Grace folded her hands on her lap as if she was about to recite her book report in class.

“A couple of months ago Danno and I went out for lunch and this man came up to us in the restaurant and said hi to Danno and to me. He leaned down and kissed Danno on the cheek and told me he was Danno’s boyfriend.”

Grace made a slight face as she continued her story.

“Danno got real mad, I could tell. He told me to stay in my chair and he pulled the man out of the restaurant. I saw Danno yelling at the man. They argued for a few minutes and then Danno came back into the restaurant alone.”

“Did you ask Danno who the man was?” Steve prompted trying to tamp down on the excitement rising in his chest.

“Danno said he was a friend and they’d had a few dates but he wasn’t really his boyfriend. Danno said he wouldn’t be seeing the man anymore.”

“And you’re sure he wore a big ring?”

Grace nodded firmly.

“Yeah it was big...it looked like a lion’s head or something. I noticed it right away. I thought it was ugly.”

Steve took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.

“Gracie, do you remember what the man’s name was?”

Grace pressed her lips together and stared at a button on Steve’s shirt as she pondered the question.

“It was a Hawaiian name...I’m not sure...I think it started with a K.”

Steve closed his eyes tightly.

“Keoki?” 

He opened them again to see Grace nodding at him firmly.

“Yeah, Keoki. I don’t remember his last name,” a look of sudden realization spread over Grace’s face and she stared at her uncle in horror.

“Did he do it? Is he the man who hurt Daddy?”

Steve was already pulling his iPhone from his pocket when he answered her. 

“I don’t know sweetie but I’m sure going to find out.”

**********

“Steve!” Kono answered his call excitedly but wasn’t able to get a word in before the commander started speaking.

“Kono listen, Grace met Keoki once, in a restaurant where she and Danny were eating lunch. Keoki told Grace he was Danny’s boyfriend and it pissed Danny off. She remembers the ring. She remembers seeing Keoki wearing a ring. She thinks it was a lion’s head.”

Kono grinned into the phone and nodded although he couldn’t see her.

“That’s fantastic but I have some news too. I just finished talking to Barbara Nesmith...”

“Barbara Nesmith?” Steve turned the name over in his mind trying to remember where he’d heard it before.

“Barb,” Kono prompted excitedly. “The third floor receptionist.”

“Oh right...” Steve responded in confusion, “Ok but what does she have...?”

“She gave Danny’s new address to Keoki,” Kono interrupted. “he came to her a week ago telling her he was a friend of Danny’s and he’d heard Danny moved to a new place but he hadn’t had the chance to get his new address. He said he wanted to surprise Danny with a nice housewarming gift and asked Barb to give him Danny’s address. The afternoon of the attack Keoki phoned Barb and asked her to call him when Danny was heading home so he could meet him and give him his present.”

“And she did?” Steve hissed incredulously into the phone glad he was standing just outside the ICU doors away from Grace’s hearing.

“You know how she is with cops she thinks we all walk on water. She figured since Keoki was also a cop it would be ok. Anyway, after Danny was attacked Barb put two and two together. She called Keoki asking what he knew about it and he told her she’d better keep quiet and not get him into trouble or he’d make sure she got fired. He threatened to hurt her if any suspicion fell on him.”

Steve’s face tightened in rage as he held the phone in a death grip.

“OK...you and Chin meet me at the office. We’re going to get Keoki right now,” he commanded.

“Steve,” Kono began warily, “you have Grace with you. I think you should stay with her and let Chin and I...”

“I’m going to drop Grace back home and then I’ll meet you. Get everything ready.”

“Steve,” Kono tried again, “we need to do this properly...” 

Whatever else the young officer was going to say was quenched when Steve disconnected the call.

**********

Kono hit the end call button on her phone and grabbed the safety handle over the passenger window as Steve skidded the Camaro around a corner dodging in and out of traffic wildly. The car’s sirens were blaring, the lights flashing, forcing the other cars on the road to pull over and make room. Chin sat in the back in stony silence trying not to get car sick.

“OK I just talked to my friend in HPD dispatch,” reported Kono who tried not to flinch when Steve came within inches of plowing into the back of a garbage truck. “She says Onakea is directing traffic around a car accident at the intersection of Waialea and 7th.”

“We’ll be there in two,” Steve growled wrenching the wheel and taking another wild turn onto Waialea.

“Steve, we need to take Onakea in unharmed if possible.”

The Commander gave a feral grin and glanced at Chin in the rear-view mirror before turning his eyes back to the road.

“That’s entirely up to him isn’t it?”

“Danny would want him to face justice,” Chin continued forcefully. “Danny believes in the justice system. He wouldn’t want us to act like vigilantes.”

“I have no intention of killing the man unless I have to Chin,” Steve shouted as they sped up to the accident scene. But if he pulls a gun or tries to run I’m taking him down. That’s the end of it.”

Kono glanced nervously over her shoulder at her cousin. Neither of them believed that Steve would kill a man in cold blood but they also knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill at the slightest provocation – especially someone who hurt Danny.

The Camaro skidded to a halt behind a fire truck and the team bolted out of the car, their guns drawn, and ran around the tangled cars in the middle of Waialea to where they could see Onakea directing traffic around the scene.

“Onakea, 5-0!” Steve yelled aiming for the cop’s chest as Kono and Chin took up positions to surround him. Onakea spun around at the sound of Steve’s voice, his hand going immediately to the butt of his automatic.

“Freeze Onakea,” shouted Kono from her spot just to his left. “Keep your hands up.”

“Actually don’t,” yelled Steve as he took a step closer to the uniformed cop. “Please draw your weapon. I want you to. I’m happy to have a reason to spatter your brains all over the pavement after what you did to Danny.”

Onokea’s face, which had at first been a picture of confused innocence, twisted into one of hatred and rage.

“It’s your fault,” he screamed, his voice nearing hysteria. “I never wanted to hurt him I just wanted him to listen. I loved him. He was mine. He belonged to me but then you took him from me. He could have loved me if you hadn’t interfered!”

“You’re out of your fucking mind Onakea,” Steve shouted back as Kono and Chin kept their weapons trained steadily on the uniformed officer, “Danny never loved you but I don’t give a fuck what you think. Take your hand away from your weapon and stand down or I swear I’ll put a bullet through your head.”

“I should have killed him,” Onakea spat, his hand tightening on his weapon. “I should have killed him, then you could never have him.”

“I’m warning you for the last time Onakea,” Steve shouted. “Put your hands in the air and...”

Onakea dropped into a crouch and started to pull his weapon. The gun barely cleared his holster when Steve fired three shots into the officer. Onakea crashed to the pavement and Kono and Chin converged on him. Chin kicked away his weapon while Kono felt his neck for a pulse.

“He’s alive,” she reported as the firefighters on scene ran towards the fallen man with their medical equipment.

“Too bad,” Steve muttered shoving his gun back in his holster.

**********

Steve sat on the corner of Danny’s bed holding his lover’s hand and using the other to brush an errant lock of hair from the blonde man’s forehead. Danny was on the mend finally. Two days ago he’d been moved out of the ICU into a private room and Steve had set up a cot in the corner of the room where he stayed overnight to watch over his partner.

The detective had a long way to go until he was back to health and back to work. He would need extensive physical therapy on his shattered arm and his fractured skull caused him severe headaches and nausea. But today had been a good day and for the first time Steve felt a loosening of the band of fear that had wrapped around his chest since the moment he found Danny’s battered body in his front yard.

“So Keoki will live?” Danny asked Steve as he shifted in his bed to get more comfortable.

“Unfortunately,” Steve replied dryly. “Guess my aim was a bit off.”

Danny rolled his eyes. Steve’s aim was never off.

“Are you sure you have enough to hold him?” Danny continued, “Because you know I can’t remember a damned thing about that night.”

Steve sighed and shook his head at his partner. And Danny called him anal retentive.

“Yes Danny. We have Barbara’s testimony – she’s been fired by the way – we found the ring with your blood and DNA on it hidden in Keoki’s house and we have the confession he screamed out in front of 100 rubbernecking traffic accident witnesses. We have him. He’s going away forever.”

“I still can’t believe it,” Danny sighed tiredly as he rubbed Steve’s fingers with his own. “I’ve always thought I was a pretty good judge of people but Keoki had me fooled.”

“He had everyone fooled Danno. No one who worked with him ever thought he’d be capable of something like that. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

“It’s just...I started out trying to mentor him and we ended up...” Danny looked up at Steve intently. “We only had a few dates and he was never my boyfriend Steve, I need you to know that.”

“Babe,” Steve whispered gently, “you don’t owe me any explanation.” 

“I know but I just don’t want any misunderstandings between us. I knew I shouldn’t get involved with him. I knew he wasn’t the right guy for me but...well the guy who was right for me didn’t seem like he was interested,” Danny blushed and looked away. 

Steve smiled and leaned over to give his partner a gentle kiss.

“That’s because the right guy didn’t know you felt the way you did and he was too much of a coward to admit how he felt.”

Danny returned his smile and lifted his good hand to caress Steve’s face with the backs of his fingers.

“Does he know now?”

Steve nodded and leaned over until his face was inches from Danny’s

“He does. He loves you...I love you.”

Danny grinned up at his lover proudly.

“I love you too babe.”

Steve leaned forward a little more and captured Danny’s mouth with a kiss. When they finally pulled apart they gazed at each other longingly.

“A month at least before we can have sex. I think that hurts worse than this broken arm,” Danny groaned as he laid his forehead against Steve’s shoulder.

Steve nodded unhappily as he carded his fingers through Danny’s hair.

“I know what you mean but at least I’ll be able to bring you home in another week.”

“And you can get off that cot,” Danny smirked. 

“And you can spend more time with Gracie.”

“Yeah,” Danny lifted his head from Steve’s shoulder and lowered himself back against his pillows tiredly.

“I’ll be living in a house by the beach with my two favourite people in the world.”

“Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?”

Danny nodded slowly as he felt his eyes being to close from fatigue.

“It’s not a house on the Jersey shore but it’s pretty damned perfect babe.”

The End.


End file.
